An inconspicuous-looking plant with a boring Latin name Philcoxia minensis turned out to be a real vampire. Biologists were amazed when they discovered his carnivorous tendencies
Until recently, no one even suspected that the predator's menu included small nematode worms. The flower grabs them with its sticky leaves and then sucks the nutrient enzymes out of them. The fact is that Philcoxia minensis grows in soils with a lack of nitrogen, which is necessary for protein synthesis. To survive, he has to obtain the necessary substances by feeding on worms.
This rare plant is common in eastern Brazil, in the state of Minas Gerais. The tropical savannahs of those places are famous for their diversity of flora. There is nothing remarkable about this plant: small purple flowers on a thin stem and small leaves - only a millimeter wide. However, some of the leaves, oddly enough, are underground. This fact led researchers to a dead end.
“Leaves are needed for photosynthesis, so it's strange why a plant needed them below the soil surface, where there is no light,” explained Rafael Silva Oliveira, a botanist at Campinas State University.
During the study, scientists were able to understand why the flower has such an unusual structure. It turns out that strange underground leaves work like a Venus flytrap trap. They are covered with sensitive hairs, which indicate that the victim has been trapped. And the sticky coating prevents the victim from escaping. The tenacious leaves of Philcoxia minensis can accommodate small nematode roundworms, which are an excellent source of nutrients that are so scarce in the white sands of the Brazilian savanna.
The fact is that plants, among other things, need nitrogen. If it is not enough contained in the soil, they are forced to look for other ways to obtain this element. For example, the famous Venus flytrap learned to extract it from insects, for which it received such a nickname. The Brazilian flower Philcoxia minensis also followed the path of a predator - its leaves can extract vital elements from worms.
This discovery stunned scientists, since before no one could suspect a modest flower in carnivorous predilections, since he hunted victims underground. “Plants seem boring to people, but they have developed many interesting ways to survive in difficult conditions. And we often do not even know about them, since it is hidden from the human eye. It looks like a flower, but in reality it is a real vampire,”Rafael Silva Oliveira does not get tired of being amazed at his discovery.